As bloggers, designers or photographers running our own businesses there are a million and one things to juggle and keep track of. It can sometimes feel like you have 27 balls in the air at once. Here are the six rules that I think you need to follow so that you drop as few of them as possible.

1. Be gracious

Never ever forget the importance of good old fashioned manners. Whether its replying to your emails in a timely fashion, sending a thank you note or even turning things down with grace, never underestimate the power of being polite. In an industry where competition is rife and reputation is everything, this is more important than ever. Even if someone is awful to you, smile and let it slide. Never bitch and moan in public and always, always be the better person.

In a hectic world full of tweets, status updates and emails sent via phones while on the move, it can be all to easy to forget just how much these small gestures can mean.

2. Manage expectations

Managing expectations from clients, colleagues or anyone you work alongside is imperative to a smooth-sailing working situation. Be realistic with what you promise people and lay everything out from the off. Always strive to under-promise and over-deliver and if you ever can’t deliver something that was expected, be as honest and as gracious as possible.

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It seems that everywhere you turn these days people are gushing about Jennifer Lawrence. How down to Earth she comes across, how refreshing she is and how we all want to be her BFF. And for once I can’t help but agree with them. I love her for so many reasons (not least of all because you know she’d be so fun to get drunk with) but I also think there are a huge number of things we, as small business owners, can learn from her too.

Stick with me here…

She flipped off the press

Now I’m not saying you should tell people to eff off at every opportunity, but not conforming to the perceived ’norms’ of an industry (in her case Hollywood, in ours the wedding industry) has made her a success. She’s not malicious about it, but she did what you know everybody else would want to if they had the balls. I mean, if I was a celebrity getting papped all day I’d want to give them the finger now and again too! Seeing her do this makes her memorable, funny and the voice of a generation.

Lesson:

Don’t ever be purposely or repeatedly malicious, but don’t be afraid to speak your mind now and again… People will love you for saying what everyone else is thinking and they’ll remember you for it.

She’s damn good at her job

She’s a truly fantastic actress. Her performance in The Hunger Games was refreshing and brilliant, and although I haven’t seen it yet, winning an Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook must mean she wasn’t too shabby in that either.

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This is probably the question I get asked the most, either by nosy types who seem to think it’s perfectly acceptable to ask someone how much money they earn, or by newer bloggers wanting some advice. It’s also one of the biggest areas of The Blogcademy and certainly the section that garners the most discussion.

So today I’m sharing some ideas on how you might want to monetise your blog. But I’d caution you to just take these ideas as hard and fast rules. The great thing about being a blogger is that there are no rules or restrictions on what you can try to make an income. Blogging is all about forging your own path, coming up with your own ideas and going your own way. So think of this article as a jumping off point for starting to dream up your next light bulb moment.

Diversify your income streams

The most important thing to realise is that, as a blogger, it is imperative to diversify your income streams – the classic don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Having some form of advertising in place is usually the first port of call for anybody wanting to monetise a website, but what if businesses and brands decide that they don’t want to have blog ads any longer? If the bottom does fall out of digital advertising, you don’t want this to be the only way you pay your rent.

While I don’t think you should stretch yourself too thin or have too much going on (it can be difficult to keep up with and confusing for your readers) at least three or four revenue streams, in my opinion, would be advisable.

Direct advertising

This is how I handle all the adverts on Rock n Roll Bride. So basically if someone wants an advert on my site, they email me directly about it and we take it from there. The main reasons I do it this way and not through a third party like an ad network (see below) is because a) I can have complete control over who is represented on the site and b) I don’t have to give anyone else a cut of the profits!

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